Green Spring, Ohio, March 2, 1858
My Dear Henry and Edson,
Dear children, your mother has not forgotten you. She thinks of
you many times every day. We hope you will be good and faithful
children. I have been thinking, what if either of you should be taken
sick and die, and your father and mother see you no more? Would you
be prepared to die? Do you love God better than any one else? Can
you forget your play to think of God, to go away alone and ask him
for Jesus’ sake to forgive your sins? I know that much of your time is
taken up with your studies, and with doing errands; but, dear children,
don’t forget to pray. The Lord loves to have children pray to him. And
if you really repent and feel sorry for your sins, God will forgive your
sins for Jesus’ sake.
When you do wrong don’t conceal your wrong, but heartily and
honestly confess it. This I believe you will do. I have confidence in
you that you have tried to do it. Continue to do so, and we shall love
you better than if you kept your wrongs concealed. God loves honest-
hearted, truthful children, but cannot love those who are dishonest. Be
obedient, dear children. God has been very merciful to you and to us.
Your parents have to travel from place to place among the people of
[43]
God to try to do them good and save souls. And the Lord has inclined
sisters Jenny and Martha to come into our family, to feel an interest
for you, to love you, and to care for you, that we may leave home
feeling free. They are not related to you. They make a sacrifice. What
for? Because they love you. When you grieve them you grieve your
parents also. It is not a desirable task to have the care of children if
they are ungrateful and disobedient. If you perseveringly try to do
right, you will make them happy, and they will feel it a pleasure to
deny themselves to have a care for you. When asked to do anything,
do not say, “Wait a minute, till I do this.” It is unpleasant to repeat to
you the same things. Now, dear children, obey because you love to,
not because you are driven to. I shall have confidence that you will do
as I wish you to. I shall confide in your honor, your manliness.
5